Handbag with disappearing handle



Nov. 15, 1960 K. M. ZENN 2,960,135

HANDBAG WITH DISAPPEARING HANDLE Filed April 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L Y 1:T 5 7 4 C? /7 IFIE-i Ill: 4 6

E "fill-'12 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 15, 1960 K. M. ZENN 2, 60,135

ANDBAG WITH DISAPPEARING HANDLE Filed April 15, 1958 2 sheets -sheet 2 :Fl EIU :T;T 1l TE: .15

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ETC-1% 35 TELLS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent HANDBAG WITH DISAPPEARING HANDLE Kenneth M. Zenn, Teaneck, N.J.,.assignor to Philip Curland, New York, N .1.

Filed Apr. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 728,711 9 Claims. (Cl. 150-12) The present invention is concerned with an improvement in manually carried containers and more particularly disappearing carrying handles for such containers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a handle for containers such as for example hand bags, brief cases, pouches and the like, which handle can quickly and easily be brought into position for use in the manual carrying of such containers and can be, with equal facility, withdrawn into a pocket on the container substantially out of sight.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for handbags including a disappearing handle therefor, which handle is permanently and pivotally connected to said handbag and automatically assumes the proper position for the manual carrying of the handbag upon being pivoted in one direction.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a back elevation of a handbag including the present invention with the handle in its carrying position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the handbag with the handle in its carrying position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the handle in its storage position and with a portion broken away to show a part of the interior of said handbag.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the handbag with the handle in its storage position and with a portion broken away to show a part of the handbag interior.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the handbag.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the handbag.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the handbag taken on line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the handle.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View of the handle taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of handbag with a portion of a flap and a pocket side broken away to show an interior detail.

Fig. 11 is an end view of said handbag.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10, out with the handle in its disappearing position.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 13-13 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation partly in dotted lines of a further modified form of handbag.

Fig. 15 is an end view of said handbag.

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the handbag opposite to Fig. 14, but with the handle in its disappearing position.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the handbag taken on line 17--17 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a front perspective view of the handbag when open; and

Fig. 19 is a rear perspective view of an open handbag and taken on a reduced scale.

\ Referring now more particularly to the accompanying 2 drawings, wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 generally designates a handbag which is shown in the present drawings as one example of a container to which the present invention can be applied and it is to be appreciated that other types of containers can equally as well be employed.

Numeral 2 indicates the front side of the handbag while 3 refers to the back and 4 to the bottom joining said front and back with the front, back and bottom being of one piece of material. Numeral 5 indicates the accordion pleated ends extending between said front and back and which may be one piece therewith or connected to the same by stitches (not shown).

The front 6 of an inner liner is joined to said outer front 2 and has a bottom 7 extending across outer bottom 4 and a back 8 extending across outer back 3 and said liner extends beyond said outer back 3 providing a closing flap 9 carrying a snap fastener head 10 for being inserted in the snap fastener base 11 mounted on said outer front 2.

Liner back 8 provides a pocket 12 with outer back 3 which pocket is open at the exterior of said liner back 8 laterally of the upper portion thereof.

A pin 13 extends through outer back 3 and liner back 8 in the side portion thereof and is riveted or otherwise formed with a head 14 exteriorly of outer back 3 and a further head 15 interiorly of liner back 8.

A curved handle 16 has a leg portion 17 from the end of which is provided an extension 18 having an opening 19. The other leg 20 of said handle has an end extension 21 extending towards said extension 18. In the handle shown which is of a substantially V-shaped configuration, extensions 18 and 21 extend laterally of their corresponding legs 17 and 20 imparting a hook shaped configuration thereto.

Said handle 16 extends within the open mouth of pocket 12 and pin 13 extends through opening 19 pivotally connecting leg 17 to the backs 3 and 8 and is assembled thereto prior to the formation of one or both of the heads 14 and 15.

A second pin 22 extends through outer back 3 and liner back 8 in an opposite end portion thereof to pin 13 and is positioned slightly closer to the top of back 3 than said pin 13. Pin 22 is riveted or otherwise has a head 23 formed thereon exteriorly of back 3 and a further head 24 formed interiorly of line back 8, thus connecting backs 3 and 8 between the heads of pin 22.

The present handle can be used for carrying said handbag by pivoting the same about pin 13 whereupon said handle will partially slide in a plane substantially parallel to backs 3 and 8 from pocket 12 through the mouth thereof. Upon extension 21 engaging pin 22, further outward pivoting of said handle will be prevented and the handle will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing whereby it may be manually grasped above flap for carrying the handbag.

Upon pushing handle 16 into pocket 12, it will.be caused to pivot by its connection through extension 18 with pin 13 and leg 20 will move inwardly of said pocket until it contacts bottom 4 whereby it will be substantially within said pocket in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing with leg 17 adjacent the top of flap 9. Thus, the handle is caused to substantially disappear and will give a change of appearance to the handbag which may be manually carried by grasping bottom 4. Handle 16 can accordingly be caused to disappear or be drawn outwardly for carrying purposes quickly and easily whenever so desired. 1

It is to be further appreciated that back 8 can be an exterior portion of the handbag with. back 3 a separate member attached by sewing or the like to the handbag at its sides and bottom for forming part 12 if desired,

Figs. -13 inclusive disclose a modified from of the present handbag which has a bottom 25, back 26 and front 27 with said back, front and bottom being connected by pleated end gussets 28 and 29. e

One fold 30 of a piece of material forming an interior dividing pocket extends longitudinally between and spaced from back 26 and has a divergent upper marginal portion 31 which extends over and downwardly along back 26 forming enclosure flap 32.

Said pocket is completed by a further portion 33 of said material which extends along side fold 30 longitudinally of the bag and spaced from front 27. The upper marginal portion 34 of said leg or fold 33 is divergent therefrom and extends over and along front 27 forming a closure flap 35.

A rivet 36 extends laterally through said marginal portions 31 and 34 of the pocket with its heads 37 on the exterior side of said pocket. A hook-shaped end 38 of a handle has an opening 39 with said rivet extending therethrough pivotally supporting said handle within and between said pocket marginal portions. Said handle can be of various configurations, but as shown may be of an inverted U-shape having legs 40 and 41 with leg 41 having a hook shaped end portion 42..

A further rivet 43 extends through said pocket marginal portions with its heads 44 on the exterior side of said pocket. Rivet 43 is positioned above rivet 36 for being engaged by end 42 of said handle when said handle has been slid from within said pocket stopping the handle in the position shown in Fig. 10.

The pocket provided by folds 30-33 provides two compartments within the handbag which are accessible by opening flaps 32 and 35 or closed by inserting head 45 of a clasp within its resilient base 46. Likewise flap 35 can be closed by inserting a head 47 of a snap fastener within its resilient base 48.

As indicated in Fig. ll, marginal portions 31 and 3 4 of said pocket can be joined by threads or the like at their opposite ends and to the gussets 28 and 29. However, said marginal portions 31 and 34 provide a mouth therebetween capable of slidably receiving handle 4041 whereby leg 41 can be slid within said pocket for substantially disappearing from view as shown in Fig. 12.

A further modified form of handbag is shown in Figs. 14-19 inclusive which includes a bottom 50, front 51 and a back 52. Said bottom, front and back are joined at their end portions by accordion pleated ends 53 and 54.

Back 52 has an inwardly turned marginal end portion 55. A liner 56 extending over the interior of said bottom, front, and back likewise has an inwardly turned marginal end portion 57 with rivet 58 extending through and laterally of said marginal end portions 55 and S7. Said rivet 58 further extends through an opening 59 of a hookshaped end portion 6% of a curved handle having legs 61 and 62 with leg 62 similarly having a hook-shaped end portion 63. Said handle is positioned between said marginal end portions 55 and 57 as shown in Fig. 17 for sliding therebetween.

A further rivet 64 extends through said marginal portions 55 and 57 and is positioned for being engaged by hook-shaped end portions 63 of said handle when said handle has been slid outwardly of the handbag to the position shown in Fig. 14 whereby it can be employed for carrying the handbag. However, said handle can be slid inwardly between back 52 and liner 56 to its disappearing position as shown in Fig. 16.

A marginal portion 65 of a flap 67 extends between handle 61 and liner marginal portion 56 withrivets 58 and 64 extending therethrough connecting said flap to said liner. A bent intermediate portion 66 of said flap will extend across the mouth of the handbag as provided by the free ends of gussets 53 and 54 and front 51 when in their closed position as shown in Fig. with the remainder of the flap extending downwardly along front 4 51 whereupon opening 68 can receive pin 69 of a resiliently pivoted clasp 70 for being retained on said front.

It is to be understood that the handbags as disclosed herein can include additional elements such as reinforcements, stiifeners, further liners and the like without imparting from the spirit of the invention and the term rivet as employed herein is to be construed as including all types of fastening elements suitable for use wherever the elements referred to as rivets are described herein.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims are deemed to be parts thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a manually carried container, at disappearing handle and pocket therefor comprising two opposing pieces of said container forming a pocket whose mouth opens exteriorly of said container, a handle having hookshaped end portions and an opening in one of said end portions, a riveted member extending through said handle end portion opening and connected to at least one of said pieces within said pocket pivotally connecting said handle end portion therein, a second riveted member connected to at least one of said pieces within said pocket and positioned for being engaged by the other of said handle hook-shaped end portions upon the pivoting of said handle outwardly of said pocket and stopping such pivoting of said handle.

2. In a manually carried container a disappearing handle and pocket therefor comprising a container exterior side having an elongated aperture therein, a handle slidably extending through said aperture, a pin pivotally connecting one end only of said handle to said container, and means limiting the pivoting of said handle and its sliding through said aperture.

3. In a manually carried container, a disappearing handle and pocket therefor comprising a piece of material attached to the exterior of said container forming an open top pocket therewith, a handle slideably extending within said pocket and through the open top thereof, means pivotally connecting said handle to at least one interior side of said pocket, and a stop mounted in said pocket for limiting the pivoting of said handle from said pocket. 7

4. An improvement in manually carried container comprising a container, a liner for at least an exterior por' tion of said container, said container exterior portion spaced at one edge thereof from said liner forming a pocket with said liner with the mouth of said pocket opening exteriorly of said container, a handle having hook-shaped end portions with an opening in one of said end portions, said handle extending into said pocket through the mouth thereof, a riveted pin extending through said exterior portion, handle end portion opening and said liner pivotally connecting said handle thereto, a second riveted pin extending through said exterior portion and said liner and positioned for being engaged by the other hook-shaped end portion of said handle upon the pivoting of said handle for stopping the movement of said handle outwardly of said pocket and positioning said handle in its container carrying position.

5; An improvement in manually carried containers as claimed in claim 4, wherein a closure flap is connected to and extends from said liner at the mouth of said pocket for overlapping and at times closing said container.

6. In a manually carried container, a disappearing handle and pocket therefor comprising a flap connected to said container for closing the same, said flap having a pocket opening exteriorly thereof, a handle pivotally connected within said pocket to said flap and slidable through the opening thereof and a stop mounted within said pocket on said flap and capable of limiting thesliding of said handle from said pocket.

7. A manually carried container with disappearing handle comprising anopen top container, an open top pocket positioned within said container with said pocket open top and the ends of said pocket being connected to the ends of said container, :a pair of flaps connected to said pocket each for closing the open top of said container along one side of said pocket, a handle pivotally connected at one end to and within said pocket for pivoting through the open top of said pocket, said handle having the other end thereof of a hook-shaped configuration and a stop carried by and within said pocket for being engaged by said handle hook-shaped end limiting the pivoting of said handle from said pocket open top.

8. In a manually carried open top container, a disappearing handle therefor comprising a handle having a hook-shaped end portion, a side of said container having an inturned end portion, a flap, a connector joining said flap to said side inturned end portion and having said handle pivotally connected thereto for sliding between said flap and side end portion into and from said container and a second connector joining said flap to said side inturned end portion and positioned for at times being en- 20 gaged by said handle hook-shaped end portion for limiting the sliding of said handle from said container.

9. In a manually carried container, 2. disappearing handle and pocket therefor comprising two opposing pieces of said container forming a pocket having a mouth opening exteriorly of said container, a handle having at least one hook-shaped free end portion, means pivotally connecting the end portion of said handle opposite said hook-shaped end portion to at least one of said pieces within said pocket with said handle slideably extending through said pocket month, said pocket mouth being of a Width substantially equal to the Width of said handle and a stop Within said pocket positioned for engaging said handle hook-shaped end portion limiting the outward movement of said handle from said pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,079 Furman May 19, 1908 959,235 Lemieux May 24, 1910 1,979,263 Halpin Nov. 6, 1934 2,725,088 Kapl-an Nov. 29, 1955 2,769,474 Klotz Nov. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 834,891 Germany Mar. 24, 1952 

